New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-14
OFFICIATING DEVICES.
TIE PATENT OFFICE FLOODED WITH THEN
INVENTORS WORKING ON THE PROBLEM-FEw NEW
IDEAS DEVELOPED.
ley TELEGRAPH TO THE InInuSE.


rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON, April 13.-The terrible raiiiCao
disaster in Massachusetts March IA, bat especially
that which occurred in Vermont recently ana the
previous one at TifBn, Ohio, have stimulated invent
ors all over the countr devise means to heat cars
40 that every danger from fire in OF accident snail
be obviated. Unfortunately, the plans submitted oy
inventors to the Patent Office within the last lew
weeks either old, or. II new, impracucaoic' III
fact the state of affairs is somewhat similar 70 'p'
set forth by Ialleyrand il his criticism OF pook
thrust upon him by its rising young author. MY
dear SIR said he "there are IN your book both good
things and new things but" and here the dehghted
smile of the author faded the good things are not
new and the things are not good.'
Applications Tor patents on heating apparatuscs go
tn Division XIX. of the Patent Office, OF which Acting
Examiner Thomas G. Steward is now in charge. Inc
rush began immediately alter the accidents; more
applications for patents heaters came in each
day than had formerly been received in month. FIX
aminer Steward was equal to the emergency. ohuer
the decision of q former commissioner tha' inc "oih
might be subdvided into classes TO accelerate IL,
car heaters were erected into separate snb-cass ana
nut in charge of Assistant Examiner William a.
Megrath. The effect OF this was to make al inc
cases Especial" that the car heater inventors
got immediate action their applications touen 'he
work in other parts of that class Is not up to date
In spite of this however there is an accumulation OF
about seventy new cases. besides the many that have
been acted upon while the caveats coming In promise
still further additions to the list.
As said before nearly all the ideas advanced are
old and the applications rejected on references
In mauy cases distinct inventors have ht upon
identic,l the same pans and there would have been
work for the Examiner of 1ntcrferences II all the
applications had not been rejected on the ola paten'
Among these old schemes that have been revamped
are those of separate heater ear with ian to send
hot air the coaches the use OF the exhaust steam
from the locomotives the OF live steam from the
locomotive; the passing OF the air tor the coaches
through pipes in the smOke-cox. the fiIe-box the
steam-chest even the boiler itself OF the
The waste fuel method of heating by hot water, those
temperature is raised by the friction OF IRON discs re-
volved by gearing from the car wheels ana immersed
in the wafer has AGAIN bObbed up screnely." One
man outs his heater OH top OF the car; others put
theirs underneath. Some heat from the rear Oh the
train others IRON the 'front.' One daring genius runs
his air pipes through mass OF molten metal wnich
is heated by little blast furnace under the car The
delights of having stream OF liquid iron meanderng
down ones back in case OF an accident VIII DC easily
perceived. ,... l..
Another mind untrammelled by traditional icmi-
nine mind at that-has originated species OF atmos-
pherc churn. Air is confined at great pressure IN
the barrel the churn, and tho dasher rcvovcd at
high speed The molecular friction OF the AR against
the dasher is expected 10 produce the desired heat
model was set up in Washington shop ten.horse
power CINE was htched to 1t and run at the top OF
it's speed. Three men watched the Thermometer IN
serted in the apparatus for day. but the obstinate
instrument bore the scrutiny calmly ana meyer waNered
degree In use, the thing intended 10 De gearcd 10
a car-aXle. 3,
Another line along which inventors have worked
for wears is that of cxtinLuishcrs. Many ingenious
applications OF this idea have been devised and there
seems to be no reason why they should not he used
They could be applied 10 the ordinary form OF indi'
y,dnal car heaters at small cost. Their absence
then must be mainly ascrbed to the criminal parsi
mony the railroad companies The simplest fofiL
consists o. tank OF water with an outlet Leading 10
the fire pot OF the heater The jar OF deraimcnt or
coils shakes heavy weight from lts support IN
its fall the weight opens valve and the water pours
in upon and exiting ishes the fire. Another plan is TO
put the tank beneath the heater aud have the same
action trip the crate, as to dump the IRE into the
water In third arrangement, which has the advan-
tage of worRing in whatever Postion the car may oe
the weight pull a trigger which releases powerful
spring piston that forces stream OF water out on TO
the fire. In all these inventions, unless sufficient
quantity of water should get to the fire. the hot steam
would make things unpleasant for the passengers.
The chemical fire extnguisher operated on the same
general plan avoids even this danger.
Some attempts have also been made TO utilize the
chemical heater working on the plan OF the soda
engine. used as street motor in Europe.
liere the heat is liberated by chemical action
other than combustion. The system requires
,enovating stations all along the line however, and
DELAYS at these points to renew the charge in the
heater. The last general class includes detachable
heaters These are placed under the car and are so
constructed thu when the car turns on Its side or -
otherwise roughly handled the whole heater drops on
A modification has drop crate which IA controlled
Inv a Dsndant weight un Ter the cir. The we gnt
HANGS SO low that when the leaves the rails the
weight strikes the cross ties, trips the CRATE and
dumps the fire on the g:ound.
ACCU RATE ENGINEERING ON NE AQTEDUcT
Chief Engineer Church meeting OF the Aqueduct
gumonts grades headings done under
the OF Division Engineer NJ WoIbrecht by MS